Pedestrians Beware!

This morning I was crossing the street in downtown San Francisco when a MUNI (SF Bus) driver ran a red light, honking his horn while scattered the several dozen people in the crosswalk. The driver wasn’t even running a stale yellow light, either. His light had been red long enough for people to fill the intersection. And what made things worse was the San Francisco policeman who was standing across the street at a construction site just stood there and watched the entire thing. Yes, a SF police officer watched idly while a SF City Bus ran a red light and nearly injured a bunch of people. This was almost as bad as the time a police officer at the same location turned his back so he didn’t have to react to a man riding his motorcycle down the sidewalk.

Of course MUNI drivers have a reputation for being ruthless and aggressive. There’s the well documented case of a MUNI driver shutting the door on a child’s foot, and both refusing to stop the bus or open the door before the bus’s next stop. I’ve also witnessed a MUNI driver take advantage of an intersection cleared out to allow an emergency vehicle through, forcing the ambulance, sirens screaming, to stop and let the bus pass. Amazing. Truly Amazing.